I was really pleased to see that Evergrey were going to play in the states but unfortunately, Houston was not one of their stops.  Well since they won’t come to me, then I will go to them which led me to a three-and-a-half-hour road trip on Labor Day to Dallas.  While the venue was small, it was filled with hardcore Evergrey fans.

The band is out promoting their latest disc The Atlantic so it only stands to reason that they would start the show with “A Silent Arc” and “Weightless,” the first two tracks off the album.  Right from the beginning, the band commanded the stage like the season veterans they are, and the crowd was with them all the way.  Even though the record is fairly new, everyone in the crowd (including me) were singing along.  Quickly after the one-two punch from The Atlantic, the guys went back to the previous record with “Distance” and “Passing Through.” The latter should have been a huge hit all over the world as it is rock radio ready.  The rest of the set consisted of material from the last four records with “Leave It Behind Us” the only track performed off their great album Glorious Collision.  I was happy that they included a lot from Hymns For The Broken as that was my 2014 Album of the Year.  In fact, that album got the most showcasing as they performed “The Fire,” “Black Undertow,” “The Grand Collapse” and final encore “King Of Errors.”

It was not until the encore that we got older Evergrey material.  “Words Mean Nothing” started things off with “Recreation Day” and “A Touch Of Blessing” following quickly.  As previously mentioned “King Of Errors” ended the show in fine fashion.  I was surprised that they didn’t play anything from In Search Of Truth, but with so many records, some material would have to be omitted from the set.  If I was in charge of the set list, they would be playing for three-plus hours, so I understand why they focused on the newer material.  Aside from the songs performed, I have to mention that the band played flawlessly throughout and proved to be a potent live act.  Next time around, I do hope they play closer to Houston, but if not, I will make the journey to wherever they are playing.  They were certainly worth the long ride.